Weapon/Base Attack Scaling

Understanding how a weapon's base attack grows as you level it up is a fundamental piece of knowledge for any Genshin Impact adventurer. This scaling directly influences your character's overall damage output, making it a key factor when deciding which weapons to invest your precious enhancement ores into. Unlike secondary stats that offer various bonuses, the base attack is the foundational damage value upon which all other multipliers are calculated. This guide breaks down the distinct growth patterns, known as weapon types, that determine how high a weapon's base attack can climb.

The Core Concept: Weapon Base Attack Types

Every weapon in Genshin Impact follows a predetermined growth curve for its base attack. This pattern is locked in based on the weapon's starting base attack at level 1. These curves are often referred to by their starting value, creating distinct "types." A weapon starting with 49 base attack will always follow the "Type-49" scaling pattern, regardless of its name or rarity. This means that two different 5-star swords could have different base attack growth if they belong to different types.

The growth isn't linear. You'll notice significant jumps in base attack value at specific level milestones, particularly before and after a weapon's ascension phases. Ascending a weapon at levels 20, 40, 50, 60, and 70 unlocks higher level caps and often provides a noticeable boost to its base attack, allowing it to continue along its growth curve.

Breaking Down the Scaling Patterns by Rarity

The data reveals distinct scaling tiers across the game's weapon rarities. Higher starting values don't always guarantee the highest final attack, but they indicate a steeper growth curve.

5-Star Weapon Scaling

Five-star weapons represent the pinnacle of base attack scaling. They start higher and reach the greatest heights. Three primary scaling types are observed here:

Type-49: This is the top-tier scaling for 5-star weapons. Starting at 49 base attack at level 1, it climbs impressively to reach 741 at level 90. Its growth curve is the steepest among all weapons.
Type-48: Another high-end 5-star pattern, beginning at 48 base attack and finishing at a maximum of 674.
Type-46: This is a more common scaling pattern for 5-star weapons, starting at 46 and capping at 608 base attack at level 90.
Type-44b: While having a lower starting point of 44, this type is still exclusive to 5-star weapons and reaches 542 at maximum level.

4-Star Weapon Scaling

Four-star weapons offer a wide spectrum of base attack potential, with several scaling types that can sometimes rival the lower end of 5-star weapons.

Type-45: This is the highest scaling tier for 4-star weapons. Starting at 45, it reaches 620 base attack at level 90. Notably, its final value is just above the Type-46 pattern for 5-star weapons.
Type-44: A common scaling pattern for strong 4-star weapons, growing from 44 to a max of 565.
Type-42: Another frequently seen 4-star type, scaling from 42 to 510 base attack.
Type-41: This type starts at 41 and finishes at 454 base attack.
Type-39b: This represents a lower scaling curve for 4-star weapons, beginning at 39 and ending at 440.

3-Star Weapon Scaling

Three-star weapons are the first major upgrade from basic starter weapons and follow a single, consistent scaling pattern.

Type-40: All 3-star weapons observed in the data follow this type. They start with 40 base attack at level 1 and can be leveled up to a maximum of 448 at level 90.

Key Level Milestones in Base Attack Growth

Analyzing the tables reveals consistent growth milestones. The difference in base attack between a weapon before and after its first ascension (at level 20) is particularly telling.

For example, looking at the Type-49 5-star weapon:

At Level 20 before ascension: 145 Base ATK.
After its first ascension, the level cap increases, and the base attack jumps to 176.

This jump after each ascension is critical. It allows the weapon to progress to the next major growth phase. Players will see the most significant absolute increases in base attack at the higher level thresholds (between levels 80 and 90).

Summary and Key Takeaways

To make the most of your weapon enhancement resources, remember these core points:

Scaling is Fixed: A weapon's base attack growth path is predetermined by its "type" (e.g., Type-49, Type-45), which is indicated by its starting value at level 1.
Ascensions are Major Milestones: The jumps in base attack that occur right after ascending a weapon at levels 20, 40, 50, 60, and 70 are substantial and necessary for continued growth.
Rarity Correlates with Ceiling: Generally, 5-star weapons have access to the highest scaling types (Type-49, 48), leading to the highest possible base attack stats at level 90. However, some 4-star weapons (Type-45) can have base attacks that surpass certain 5-star types.
3-Star Weapons are Consistent: All 3-star weapons appear to follow the same Type-40 scaling pattern, making them a reliable, if lower-tier, option for early and mid-game progress.
Plan Your Investment: When deciding which weapon to level, consider its type. A weapon following a higher scaling type (like Type-49) will yield a greater return on your enhancement ore investment in terms of raw base attack compared to a weapon with a lower scaling type, even if both are of the same rarity.

Understanding these scaling patterns helps you forecast your weapon's potential and make more informed decisions about where to allocate your resources for maximum combat effectiveness.